Transporting carriage for automatic doffing apparatus and the like



Nov. 22, 1966 J. F. KING, JR., ETAL 3,286,857

TRANSPORTING CARRIAGE FOR AUTOMATIC DOFFING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed June 30, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ll IN VENTORS ATTORNEYS @N TA :1 0 6L m vnnn M FDJ 0 m m 3 A n a O J W ,0 5 4 6 4 .v 3 3 a m x G 3 a 2 Nov. 22, 1966 J. F. KING; JR.. ETAL 3,

TRANSPORTING CARRIAGE FOR AUTOMATIC DOFFING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed June 30, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR? JAMES F. KING-5312* DONALD A. SLoAN Mason ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1966 J. F. KING, JR.. ETAL 3,286,857

TRANSPORTING CARRIAGE FOR AUTOMATIC DOFFING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed June 30, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 d INVENTOks H g JAMEsF mu gin 6:0 DONALD A SLOAN ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1966 Filed June 30, 1964 J. F. KING, JR.. ETAL TRANSPORTING CARRIAGE FOR AUTOMATIC DOFFIN APPARATUS AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

INVENTORS JAMES F KmcTQYR.

DONALD A. S LOAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,286,857 TRANSPORTING CARRIAGE FOR AUTOMATIC DOFFING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE James F. King, Jr., and Donald A. Sloan, Winston-Salem,

N.C., assignors to The Bahnson Company, Winston- Salem, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed June 30, 1964, Ser. No. 379,074 12 Claims. (Cl. 214-38) The present invention relates in general to apparatus transporting and positioning carriages, and more particularly to wheeled carriages for transporting automatic bobbin doifing and/ or -donning apparatus and removably positioning the same on supporting track rails extending alongside a line of spindles of textile spinning machines to track along the rails and doff and/ or don the bobbins relative to the spindles.

While the wheeled carriage of the present invention is useful in many applications involving transportation of relatively bulky or heavy loads from one location to another and accurate positioning of the loads in special relation to apparatus on which the load is to be ultimately supported, it will be specifically described in relation to the particular application of supporting automatic dofiing and/ or donning apparatus for use with textile processing machines.

Heretofore, considerable effort has been directed toward the development of apparatus for automatically doiling bobbins from the spindles of textile spinning machines, and in many cases to concurrently don empty bobbins on the doifed spindles, to reduce the time and labor expense incident to the usual manual dofling and donning of the bobbins and reduce machine shut-down time. Such dofiing and/or donning apparatus are designed in some instances, to be removably hung on track rails fixed to the spinning frame adjacent and below each line of spindles at the sides of the spinning machine by means of rollers riding on the rails, one of which rollers is preferably motorized, so that the apparatus will automatically track on the rails in proper relative position to the successive bobbins and spindles and successively doif and/or don the bobbins. An example of a preferred form of doffing apparatus to be supported by the wheeled carriage of the present invention is disclosed in application Serial No. 379,170, filed June 30, 1964, entitled, Automatic Bobbin Doffing Apparatus. Such apparatus, in use, is to be moved from spinning machine to spinning machine about the spinning room, to serve all or a large number of the machines therein, and in each instance must be carefully located relative to the track rails on the spinning machines to insure proper tracking of the apparatus on the rails and proper location of the active bobbin dofiing or donning components relative to the line of spindles. Obviously, frequent transportation and careful positioning of such apparatus of considerable mass or bulk is a difiicult task.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel wheeled carriage for transporting loads having means facilitating careful and precise positioning of the load relative to a support on which the load is to .be received.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel wheeled carriage for transporting apparatus designed to be received on track rails in a specially oriented position, wherein means are provided for sup- "ice sion of a castered carriage for transporting apparatus and positioning the same, wherein novel means are provided for releasably locking the trailing casters of the carriage in parallelism aligned with a selected direction of travel to facilitate movement of the carriage over long distances and permitting freeing of all casters to facilitate orientation and alignment of the apparatus with other equipment.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel wheeled carriage for transporting automatic dofiing and/ or donning apparatus for textile spinning machines which facilitates transportation of the apparatus between spinning machines and proper alignment of the apparatus on supporting track rails provided on the spinning machines.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: 7

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a transport carriage embodying the present invention, illustrating the same in the normal condition of use to automatically track along the track rails of a textile spinning frame to dolf' filled bobbins from the spindles thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of the transport carriage, viewed from the right-hand side of FIGURE 1, and illustrating diagrammatically in broken lines a bobbin dofling and donning mechanism thereon, with the carriage components in transport position;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 2, showing the components in tracking position to automatically doff bobbins from the spinning frame;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of the transport carriage viewed from the side proximate to the spinning frame;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse section view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section view illustrating details of the bottom frame portion, taken along the line 6.6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation view of the bottom frame portion, as viewed from the left-hand side of FIGURE 1, with the trailing casters in unlocked or free condition;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation view similar to FIGURE 7 but illustrating one of the trailing casters in locked condition.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like referenc characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the transporting and positioning carriage of the present invention comprises a rigid carriage frame, indicated generally by the reference character 10, formed of upright front and rear frame portions 11, 11 preferably constructed of welded tubular steel members, and a substantially horizontal bottom frame portion 12 formed of angle iron and steel scrap members, the up right frame portions and bottom frame portion together defining an upwardly opening, substantially U-shaped framework, wherein the front and rear frame portions are spaced from each other along the direction of predominant travel of the frame. The tubular steel members, herein designated by the reference character 13, at the proximal side of the carriage frame 10 relative to the spinning frame along which it is to automatically track, have welded thereto a pair of bearing brackets 14 extending inwardly toward the center of the carriage thrust loads. centric links or overcenter arms 17. are rigidly fixed to frame and located near the upper end thereof, in which are' journaled a pair of short shafts 15 axially aligned with each other and forming a stationary pivot axis located between the proximal and distal sides of the carriage frame. To one of these short shafts 15 is connected ,a crank handle 16 for manual angular positioning of the associated short shaft 15 as will be hereinafter described, while the other short shaft 15 has a lock collar (not shown) on its outboard end to absorb longitudinal The corresponding ends of a pair'of ecthe inboard ends of the short shafts 15 and carry on their other ends a long shaft 18 spanning the distance between the eccentric links 17 and forming a movable pivot axis. The long shaft 18 forms the upper support for a large rigid mounting plate 19, there shown to be of truncated triangular configuration, forming a supporting base for a bobbin dotfer unit, here indicated schematically in'FIG- URES 2-4 in broken lines bythe reference character 20,

and if desired an automatic bobbin donner unit indicated schematically and designated by reference character 20a,

:the upper portionof the mounting .plate 19 being connected to the shaft-18 by bearing brackets 21 extending from the edges of the mounting plate and journaled on. the shaft 18. The mounting plate is designed to assume a :preferably peripherally grooved, track wheels 23 are journaled on the mounting. plate 19 to be fitted on upper trackrail 24 fixed on ,the side of the spinning frame, at least one of the track wheels 23 being preferably driven by an electric motor unit 25 carried by the mounting plate 19. The lower end portion of the mounting plate 19 is stabilized in proper position by a lower track wheel 26, which in this instance, is a smooth surface wheel, jriding against the smooth lateral surface of a lower track 27 on the spinning frame. When the mounting plate 19 is maintained in vertical position by the track rails 24 and 26, the lower track wheel 26 being urged by a gravitational moment into continuous engagement with the lower track rail 27 by the weight of the mounting plate 19 and the components carried thereby, the lower track wheel 26 is spaced slightly outwardly from a fixed slide plate 28 carried by a supportig block 29 fixed to the bottom frame portion 12 of the carriage frame 10.

It will be observed from FIGURES l, 3 and of the drawings that the location of the fixed pivot axis defined by the short shafts 15 and the length of the eccentric disposed in laterally spaced relation beyond or outside of the bounds of the carriage frame thus disposing the load of the mounting plate and components supported thereon at or adjacent one side (the proximal side) of the carriage frame, producing an inconvenient balance condition for transport of the carriage frame between spinning frames or from one location to another in the spinning room. To facilitate transport of the carriage ,frame 10 and the load support thereby, the mounting plate 19 and its supported components are shifted to a transport position illustrated in FIGURE 2, disposing the doffer :unit 22 and donner unit 22a generally above the center of the carriage frame with the center of mass located between the proximal and distal sides thereof. This is accomplished by moving the crank handle 16 from the 'FIGURE 3 position to the FIGURE 2 position, about the stationary pivot axis of shafts 15, thereby rotating the eccentric links 17 and the movable pivot axis defined by long shaft 18 overcenter with respect to the shafts or through the vertical plane including the axes of the shafts 15 to the FIGURE 2 position. The mounting arms 17 are such that the mounting plate 19 is wholly to movethe carriage frame over long distances.

avoid this difiiculty, the trailing castered wheelslll may r 41 plate 19 is gravitationally stabilized at this position by engagement of upper portions of the mounting plate 19,

for example rearwardly projecting flanges thereof, with the short shafts 15, while wheel 26 rests against the side plate 28. This movement of the eccentric links 17 carries the upper portion of the mounting plate 19 upwardly and inwardly toward the center of the carriage frame 10 through a suflicient arc to dispose the upper end of the mounting plate 19 within the bounds of :the marriage frame 10 or between the proximal and distal sides thereof, while the lower end of the mounting plate 19'is restricted to limited inward movement by engagement of the lower track wheel 26 with the side plate 28 and sliding movement of the wheel 26 against the plate 28 to the FIGURE' 2 position. 7

The carriage frame 10 has four caster wheels depending from the bottom thereof, the leading wheels during.

normal transport of the carriage frame between spinning machines. being designated by the reference character 30 and the trailing wheels being designated by the reference While these castered wheels 30, 31 should 1 character 31. be freely rotatable about vertical faxes to .renderthe carriage frame maneuverable in all directions to aid in positioning and aligning the mounting plate 19 with the track rails 24,127, such an arrangement makes it difficult To be selectively locked in the fore and aft direction to facilitate movementand control of the carriage .frame. for relatively long distance transport. The trailing caster wheels 31 therefore each includes an annular disk 321 attached to the swiveled yoke portion 33 so thatits center axis is perpendicular and concentric with that of the 1 Each disk 32 has an eccentric hole 34 therein capable of receiving a locking pin 35 and caster wheelswivel, axis.

so positioned that the caster wheels 31 will be locked in the desired direction when the locking pins 35 engage the holes 34. The locking pins'35 are .fixed on the remote ends of spring straps 36, the inner ends of which are fixed to ends of the cross, head 37 of a T bar member 38, the perpendicular leg 39 of the T bar being pivoted, as indicated at 40 within a fore and aft extending. channel member 41 forming part of the bottom portion 12 of the carriage frame and located between the distal and prox- The T bar member 38 is nor- 6 mally held in the upward position illustrated in FIGURES imal sides of the frame.

7 and '8 by a spring 42 carried by the channel member 41. A foot pedal 43 is pivoted at its center to the bottom frame portion 12, as by pivotally mounting the same on the upright web of an angle iron 44 and has a rigid cam or projection 45 bearing against an eccentric portion of the T bar member 38 relative to its. pivot 40. The foot pedal 43 normally occupies the position illustrated I in FIGURE 7, wherein the T .bar member 38 is held in 1ts uppermost position by spring 42 locating the locking pins 35 and spring straps 36 slightly above the upper surfaces of the disks 32 so that the locking pins 35 do not enter the holes 34 or interfere with free rotation of the castered wheels 31.

When the foot pedal 43 is rotated counterclockwise from the FIGURE 7 position and the cam 45 passes through the line of force between the T barmember 38 and the pivot axis of the pedal 43, the came 45 detents, as for example by engagement with a stop shoulder 46 l on the T member 38, at a position such as that illustrated in FIGURE 9 wherein. the T bar member '38 is'forced downwardly about its pivot 40 to a position locatingthe ends of the spring straps 36 fixed thereto at a lowerlevel,

for example in or below the planes of the disks '32,.

wherein the locking pins 35 are urged downwardly against the adjacent surfaces of the disks 32. This spring loads the locking pins 35 against the disks 32 .so that movement of the carriage spring 10v in the direction chosen for transport will permit rotation of the disks 32 and their associated castered wheels 31 with the pins 35 loaded thereagainst until the holes 34 align with and receive the locking pins 35, after which further rotation of the castered wheels is prevented until the foot pedal 43 is again shifted clockwise to the FIGURE 7 position.

In the operation of the carriage frame, the mounting plate 19 and the apparatus carried thereby are normally disposed in the transport position illustrated in FIGURE 2 wherein the center of mass of the mounting plate and its supported apparatus lies above and approximately midway between the castered wheels and the proximal and distal sides of the frame and, fortransport over relatively long distances, the foot pedal 43 is in the FIGURE 9 position and the locking pins 35 are engaged in the holes 34 of the disks 32 associated with the trailing caster wheels 31. Assuming the mounting plate 19 is to be fitted on the track rails 24, 27 of a spinning frame, the carriage frame 10 is moved to a position near the rails 24, 27 and the foot pedal 43 is shifted over center clockwise to release the trailing caster wheels 31 for free rotation. The carriage frame 10 is then maneuvered toward the track rails 24, 27 until the lower track wheel 26 is immediately adjacent the lower track rail 27 and the crank handle 16 is then shifted in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3 to move the shaft 18 overcenter with respect to the shafts to the FIGURE 3 position, during the terminal portion of which the lower track wheel 26 butts against the lower track rail 27 and the upper track wheels 23 move in a downward arc onto the upper track rails 24. This downward and forward movement of the mounting plate 19 during the terminal portion of its arcuate movement to the laterally projected position of FIGURE 3 considerably eases the job of properly interfitting the peripheral grooves of the upper track wheels 23 onto the track rail 24. The motor and dofling and/or donning instrumentalities are then energized and the mounting plate 19 and dofl'ing and/or donning units then track down the length of the track rails 24, 27, the carriage frame 10 being freely carried thereby alongside the track rails due to their interconnection with the mounting plate 19 and the free castered condition of the wheels 30, 31. At the completion of the run along the length of rails 24, 27, the procedure is reversed to withdraw the mounting plate 19 and its supported instrumentalities to the retracted position of FIGURE 2 by merely rotating the crank handle 16 counterclockwise from the FIGURE 3 position to the FIGURE 2 position.

To facilitate collection of the dotfed bobbins, the bottom frame portion 12 of the carriage frame is preferably formed of angle irons along three sides and a flat strap iron along the fourth side, as shown in FIGURE 1, to provide a convenient base opening to the side of the carriage frame opposite plate 19 to support a collecting pin or receptacle 47. The receptacle 47 is thus conveniently disposed to receive dolfed bobbins from the doffer unit and is readily removable from the carriage frame when it is filled.

While but one preferred example of the present invention has been particularly shown and described, it is apparent that various modifications may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wheeled carriage for transporting a load over a floor and positioning the same in selectively aligned relation on a load receiving structure, comprising a rigid carriage frame having means defining a stationary horizontal pivot axis spaced above the floor, a plurality of floor engaging wheels joumalled in said frame arranged in a pair of laterally spaced wheel zones lying on opposite sides of said pivot axis whereby said pivot axis lies between said wheel zones, a generally vertically arranged, vertically elongated rigid movable mounting panel having an upper portion located near the vertical level of said stationary pivot axis for supporting the load and a lower portion located below said stationary pivot axis, eccentric members rotatable about said stationary pivot axis having means pivoted .to the upper portion of said panel defining a movable pivot axis paralleling and spaced eccentrically of said stationary pivot axis, and means for rotating said eccentric members about said stationary pivot axis between an inboard transport position disposing said movable pivot axis and the load supporting upper portion of said panel between said wheel zones for convenience of transport and a load transfer position disposing said movable pivot axis and the load supporting upper portion of said panel between said wheel zones for convenience of transport and a a load transfer position disposing said movable pivot axis and the load supporting portion of said panel outboard of said wheel zones and projected laterally from one of the wheel zones to engage the load receiving structure.

2. A wheeled carriage for transporting a load over a floor and positioning the same in selectively aligned relation on a load receiving structure as defined in claim 1, including means for restraining the lower portion of said panel adjacent said last-mentioned Wheel zone to cause the panel to assume an upwardly and inwardly inclined orientation upon movement of said eccentric members to said inboard position to dispose the load substantially midway between said wheel zones.

3. A wheeled carriage for transporting a load over a floor and positioning the same in selectively aligned relation on a pair of vertically spaced horizontal tracks arranged in a substantially vertical track plane, comprising a rigid carriage frame having means defining a stationary horizontal pivot axis spaced above the floor, a plurality of floor engaging caster Wheels joumalled in said frame arranged in first and second laterally spaced wheel zones lying on opposite sides of said pivot axis to be disposed respectively adjacent and remote from said tracks for transfer of the load thereto, a generally, vertically arranged, vertically elongated rigid movable mounting panel having an upper portion located adjacent the vertical level of the uppermost of said tracks for supporting the load and a lower portion located adjacent the vertical level of the lowermost of said tracks, eccentric members rotatable about said stationary pivot axis having means pivoted to the upper portion of said panel defining a movable pivot axis paralleling and spaced eccentrically of said stationary pivot axis, and means for rotating said eccentric member about said stationary pivot axis between a first position disposing said movable pivot axis and the upper panel portion between said Wheel zones for convenience of transport and a second position disposing said movable pivot axis outboard of said first Wheel zone with said panel pivotally suspended in vertically depending relation there from in a plane substantially paralleling said track plane and projected laterally of said frame and first wheel zone to engage said tracks andconform to the track plane defined thereby.

4. A wheeled carriage for transporting an automatic bobbin doifer unit between textile spinning machines and transferring the same to a pair of vertically spaced horizontal elonagted track rails extending along a tracking axis on the side of a spinning machine for self-propelled tracking movement on the rails in preselected relation to a line of bobbin spindles to dofi the bobbins therefrom, comprising a rigid carriage frame including a base frame portion having spaced opposite lateral edge-s adapted to be disposed respectively adjacent and remote from said rails during said tracking movement, a plurality of floor engaging caster wheels joumalled on said base frame portion at said opposite lateral edges, said frame having means defining a horizontal pivot axis fixed relative to the frame and spaced above said base frame portion between the caster wheels at said lateral edges to be arranged in parallelism with the tracking axis, a vertically elongated rigid mounting panel having a lower portion adjacent said base frame'portion and an upper portion adjacent the level .of the uppermost track rail for-supporting said dolfer unit at the upper portion of said panel, eccentric links rotatable about said fixed pivot axis having means pivoted to the upper portion of said panel defining a movable pivot axis paralleling and spaced fnom. said fixed pivot axis,.and means for rotating said eccentric links upwardly about said fixed pivot axis between a first position locating said movable pivot axis above said base frame portion between the lateral edges thereof to dispose the upper panel portion and doffer unit supported thereby at an in-tenmcdiate position between said lateral edges and a second position locating said movable pivot axis in outwardly projected relation outboard of said lateraledges and toward said track rails for suspending said panel therefrom to engage the track rails and assume a selected orientation responsive thereto.

5. A wheeled carriage for transporting an automatic bobbin dolfer unit between textile spinning machines and transferring the same to a pair of vertically spaced horizontal elongated track rails extending along a tracking axis on the side of a spinning machine for self-propelled tracking movement on the rails in preselected relation to a line of bobbin spindles to doff the bobbins therefrom, comprising a rigid carriage frame including a base frame portion having spaced opposite lateral edges adapted to be disposed respectively adjacent and remote from said rails during said tracking movement, a plurality of floor engaging caster wheels journalled on said base frame portion at said opposite lateral edges, providing support points for said frame spaced apart transversely of said tracking axisto stabilize the frame against lateral tilting, said frame including spaced upright members to be disposed in a plane paralleling said tracking axis having means defining a horizontal pivot axis fixed relative to the frame and spaced above said base frame portion between the caster wheels at said lateral edges to be arranged in parallelism with the tracking axis, a vertically elongated rigid mounting panel having a lower portion adjacent said ,base frame portion and an upper portion adjacent the level of the uppermost track rail for supporting said doffer unit at the upper portion of said panel, eccentric links rotatable about said fixed pivot axis having means pivoted to the upper portion of said panel defining a movable pivot axis paralleling and spaced from said fixed pivot axis, means for rotating said eccentric links upwardly about said fixed pivot axis between a first position locating said movable pivot axis above said base frame portion between the lateral edges thereof to dispose :the upper panel portion and doffer unit supported thereby at an intermediate position between said lateral edges and a second position locating said movable pivot axis in outwardly projected relation outboard of said later-a1 edges and toward said track rails for suspending said panel therefrom to engage the track rails and assume a selected orientation responsive thereto, said panel having a pair of outwardly projecting upper grooved track wheels to interfit on the uppermost track rail and support said panel therefrom and a lower track wheel to bear laterally against the lowermost track rail for orienting said panel.

6. In a wheeled carriage as defined in claim 5, said base frame portion having a stop surface spaced slightly inwardly toward the frame from the lowermost track wheel when said panel occupies the projected outboard position to engage said lowermost track wheel upon movement of the upper panel portion to the intermediate position and restrain the lower panel portion adjacent the lateral edge of the base frame portion and outwardly of the first position of said movable pivot axis whereby the panel assumes an upwardly and inwardly inclined orientation .at said intermediate position.

7. A wheeled carriage for transporting an automatic bobbin doifer unit or the like over the floor of a textile spinning room and positioning the same for self-propelled most of said rails adapted to be arranged in a common plane paralleling and spaced transversely from said rails, a plurality of floor engaging caster wheels journalled on said frame, a rigid vertically elongated .panel member forming a support for the doffer unit located betweensaid upright members adapted to be located in a vertical plane adjacent said rails and projected \laterally from the frame relative to said line of travel, said panel member having a pair of upper track wheels in the upper region thereof projecting therefrom toward the rails to be positioned on the uppermost rail and a lower track wheel at a lower portion thereof for engaging the lowermost rail to coactively support said frame member in said vertical plane and drive the same and said carriage frame along said path, eccentric arms pivoted to said upright members about a fixed pivot axis lying within said frame and pivotally coupled to an upper part of said panel member about a movable pivot axis paralleling said fixed axis for supporting the panel member from said upright members for movement between a transport position locating the center of mass of said panel member and the dolfer unit thereon within said carriage frame and said projected position whereinsaid center of mass is located to one side of the carriage frame, said movable pivot axis moving through an are above said fixed pivot axis during movement between said positions whereby the upper track wheels move through a downward arcuate path from a point of maximum elevation spaced above the uppermost rail during the terminal portion of move-' I ment thereof toward said projected position to facilitatev mounting of the track wheels on said rails.

8. A wheeled carriage for transporting an automatic bobbin doffer unit or the like over the floor of a textile spinning room and positioning the same for self-propelled 1 tracking movement along a line of travel one pair of vertically spaced horizontal rails at the side of a spinning 1 machine in a preselected path and orientation relative to a line of bobbin spindles, comprising a rigid carriage.

frame having a pair of upright members spaced from each other extending to substantially the height of the uppermost of said rails adapted to be arranged in a common plane paralleling and spaced transversely from said rails, a plurality of floor engaging caster wheels journalled on said frame, a rigid vertically elongated panel member;

forming a support for the doifer unit located between said upright members adapted to be located in a vertical plane adjacent said rails and projected laterally from the frame relative to said line of travel, said panel member having a pair of upper track wheels in the upper region bers about a fixed pivot axis lying within said frame and pivotally coupled to an upper part of said panel member about a movable pivot axis paralleling said fixed axis for supporting the panel member from said upright members for movement between a transport position locating the center of mass of said panel member and the dolfer unit thereon within said carriage frame and said projected position wherein said center of mass is located to one side of the'carriage frame, said movable pivot axis moving through an are above said fixed pivot axis during,

movement between said positions whereby the upper track wheels move through a downward acur-ate path from a point of maximum elevation spaced above the uppermost rail during the terminal portion of movement thereof toward said projected position to facilitate mounting of the track wheels on said rails, and stop surface means on said frame for engaging said lower track wheel upon movement of said eccentric arms from said projected position to said transport position to maintain the lower panel member portion at a position spaced laterally of and below the movable pivot axis disposing said panel member in upwardly and inwardly inclined'relation at said transport position.

9. A wheeled carriage as defined in claim 1 wherein said wheels are journalled in said frame for free swiveling movement about vertical axes, said wheels including a leading wheel and a trailing wheel in each wheel zone relative to a selected direction of travel, latching means for selectively restraining the trailing wheels in said zones against swiveling movement from planes paralleling said selected direction of travel, and foot pedal means for selectively positioning said latching means in restraining relation to said trailing wheels and withdrawing the latch ing means to a release position freeing the trailing wheels for free swiveling movement.

10. A wheeled carriage as defined inclaim 4 wherein said wheels are journalled in said frame for free swiveling movement about vertical axes, said wheels including a leading wheel and a trailing wheel in each wheel zone relative to a selected direction of travel, latching means for selectively restraining the trailing wheels in said zones against swiveling movement from planes paralleling said selected direction of travel, and foot pedal means for selectively positioning said latching means in restraining relation to said trailing wheels and withdrawing the latching means to a release position freeing the trailing wheels for free swiveling movement.

11. A wheeled carriage for transporting an automatic bobbin doifer unit or the like over the floor of a textile spinning room between spinning machines therein and positioning the same for self-propelled tracking movement on horizontal track means at the side of a spinning machine in a preselected path and orientation relative to a line of bobbin spindles, comprising a rigid carriage frame including a rectangular base frame portion having parallel lateral edges and leading and trailing ends relative to a selected direction of travel paralleling said track means, means extending upwardly from said base frame portion for supporting said dotfer unit at substantially the level of said spindles, a plurality of floor engaging caster wheels journaled on said base frame portion for swiveling movement about vertical axes including a leading wheel and a trailing wheel adjacent each side of said base frame portions relative to said selected directions, detent means adjacent each of the trailing caster wheels adjustable to an active position latching the same in wheel planes paralleling said sides and said selected direction of travel and to an inactive position releasing said trailing wheel for free swiveling movement, and foot pedal means for conjointly adjusting said detent means to said active and inactive positions, said detent means comprising a horizontal disk on each of said trailing wheels each having a socket therein at a selected angular position, a spring member adjacent each disk having a detent projection extending toward the associated disk in the path of the socket therein, a pivoted support for the spring members normally biased to an elevated position spacing said detent projections above said disks out of coactive engagement therewith, and said foot pedal means having a pivoted cam engaging said support eccentrically of the pivot axis thereof adjustable to a first angular position allowing said support to assume said elevated position and a second angular position forcing said support to a lower position wherein said detent projections are biased against said disks to enter said sockets when the trailing wheels align with said wheel planes.

12. A wheeled carriage for transporting an automatic bobbin doi'fer unit or the like over the floor of a textile spinning room between spinning machines therein and positioning the same for self-propelled tracking movement on horizontal track means at the side of a spinning machine in a preselected path and orientation relative to a line of bobbin spindles, comprising a rigid carriage frame including a rectangular base frame portion having parallel lateral edges and leading trailing ends relative to a selected direction of travel paralleling said track means, means extending upwardly from said base frame portion for supporting said doffer unit at substantially the level of said spindles including eccentric pivot means for moving the dolfer unit laterally from a transport position overlying said base frame portion to a tracking position projecting portions of the doffer unit laterally outwardly from the frame, a plurality of floor engaging caster wheels journalled on said base frame portion for swiveling movement about vertical axes including a leading wheel and a trailing wheel adjacent each side of said base frame portions relative to said selected directions, detent means adjacent each of the trailing caster wheels adjustable to an active position latching the same in wheelplanes paralleling said sides and said selected direction of travel and to an inactive position releasing said trailing wheel for free swiveling movement, and foot pedal means for conjointly adjusting said detent means to said active and inactive positions, said detent means comprising a horizontal disk on each of said trailing wheels each having a socket therein at a selected angular position, a spring member adjacent each disk having a detent projection extending toward the associated disk in the path of the socket therein, a pivoted support for the spring members normally biased to an elevated position spacing said detent projections above said disks out of coactive engagement therewith, and said foot pedal means having a pivoted cam engaging said support eccentrically of the pivot axis thereof adjustable to a first angular position allowing said support to assume said elevated position and a second angular position forcing said support to a lower position wherein said detent projections are biased against said disks to enter said sockets when the trailing wheels align with said wheel planes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,304,711 5/1919 Skibbe et a1. l6-35 2,606,078 8/ 1952 Brock.

3,077,725 2/1963 DuBuis et a1. 57-53 3,088,266 5/1963 Bahnson et al 5753 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Examiner. 

1. A WHEELED CARRIAGE FOR TRANSPORTING A LOAD OVER A FLOOR AND POSITIONING THE SAME IN SELECTIVELY ALIGNED RELATION ON A LOAD RECEIVING STRUCTURE, COMPRISING A RIGID CARRIAGE FRAME HAVING MEANS DEFINING A STATIONARY HORIZONTAL PIVOT AXIS SPACED ABOVE THE FLOOR, A PLURALITY OF FLOOR ENGAGING WHEELS JOURNALLED IN SAID FRAME ARRANGED IN A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED WHEEL ZONES LYING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PIVOT AXIS WHEREBY SAID PIVOT AXIS LIES BETWEEN SAID WHEEL ZONES, A GENERALLY VERTICALLY ARRANGED, VERTICALLY ELONGATED RIGID MOVABLE MOUNTING PANEL HAVING AN UPPER PORTION LOCATED NEAR THE VERTICAL LEVEL OF SAID STATIONARY PIVOT AXIS FOR SUPPORTING THE LOAD AND A LOWER PORTION LOCATED BELOW SAID STATIONARY PIVOT AXIS, ECCENTRIC MEMBERS ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID STATIONARY PIVOT AXIS HAVING MEANS PIVOTED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID PANEL DEFINING A MOVABLE PIVOT AXIS PARALLELING AND SPACED ECCENTRICALLY OF SAID STATIONARY PIVOT AXIS, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ECCENTRIC MEMBERS ABOUT SAID STATIONARY PIVOT AXIS BETWEEN AN INBOARD TRANSPORT POSITION DISPOSING SAID MOVABLE PIVOT AXIS AND THE LOAD SUPPORTING UPPER PORTION OF SAID PANEL BETWEEN SAID WHEEL ZONES FOR CONVENIENCE OF TRANSPORT AND A LOAD TRANSFER POSITION DISPOSING SAID MOVABLE PIVOT AXIS 